Group 2 (Monday section) - Chapter 3



intro- andrea
tradtional media- andrea
process sound-katie
speech-katie
light-paul
text-paul
images-mattie
limitations-andrea
power-mattie
implications-andrea

Introduction: AndreaTraditional media for teaching is considered speech, text, and images; more explicitly, lectures and textbooks. Instead of carefully examining which medium is beneficial to all students within a classroom, teachers often choose the one which is most convenient or one he/she has used in the past. Unfortunately, this is not beneficial to all students because of various learning differences. Teachers tend to operate on a one-size-fits-all mindset. When choosing a medium to teach through, a teacher must consider the following: the appropriateness for the particular conent or activity, the characteristics of the students within the class, and the strengths and weaknesses of these students. Ultimately, traditional instructional mediums are inflexible and not amendable to individualization, however, digital media can be and also provides teachers with a new and better approach to understanind and addressing learner differences.
Traditional Instructional Media: AndreaThe various qualities of text, speech, and images differentiate how communicative and expressive each can be. These characteristics are what drive hoe the brain understands each medium and how useful it can be in a particular instructional setting. Understanding the differences between these mediums assist teachers in deciding which to use to teach the desired content, Explorations into these mediums can provide better understanding of students strengths and weaknesses, and also reveal that the barriers between students and learning is at the intersection of the task, the medium used to present the task, and the student's strengths and weaknesses.
Process Sound/Speech: Katie
By definition sound is a forceful, physical medium. Sound is produced when the wave of energy reaches our ears and that air pressure pounds on our eardrums. This energy is transformed into patterns of nerve impulses. The brain’s recognition network is used to process the sound we hear. It’s important to see that there is no “still shot” of sound because time is inseparable from sound. The brain responds to the number of waves per second.

Our quality of speech is an important aspect of becoming a teacher. We don’t realize, but we speak differently all the time, whether it’s to our friends, in the classroom, or telling a bedtime story. When speaking we learn to not read simply from our note cards. One should vary the intonation, pace, and volume to emphasize key points to a speech. One can also use facial expressions as well as hand gestures. The idea of “less is better” is imperative when presenting a speech. It’s important to get your point across in an effective, timely manner, which can also be applied when teaching.


How We Process Light - Paul
Light is a perception our nervous system creates from traveling energy waves. Light measures the electromagnetic energy reflected The visual cortex of the brain is specialized to process light. Because printed text is so central to our culture, learning to read and write is the primary focus of the early school years.

Qualities of Text - Paul
Advantages of text: Text can be viewed as "re-presentation" of text in a new format; text reduces memory demands; text helps scaffold cultural memory with historical records; text can be re-visited and passed on; text helps communicate accurately. Limitations of text: text lacks the inherent expressiveness in speech; text is bound by a large number of convections; various kinds of printed documents are presented differently. Reading text engages multiple area in three brain networks. These networks are the recognition network, the strategic network, and the affective network. When teachers get to know their students' strengths and weaknesses in recognition, strategy, and affect, they can make better choices about when and how to use text in the classroom.
Qualities of Images: MattieImages are starting to make their way across cultures, because pictures are universal, unlike language. Language communicates lineraly and sequentially, compared to images that communicate everything at one and offer the entirely, rather than just one aspect at a time. Emotion is conveyed directly through images, and can vary based on the person who is viewing the image. Also, no decoding is required for images, so the information/content is immediate and easier because the view is not trying to break apart a word and piece those words together to create a sentence and then determine the meaning. A person's strategic networks help them determine what is important in an image and where their attention should be placed. Affective engagement varies from person to person, so someone may have no reaction whatsoever to an image because they cannot emotionally connect to that image, whereas an image may feed someone's interest.
Overcoming the Limitations of Traditional Media: AndreaNo medium, text, speech, or images works best for every student in every situation. It is important to remember that all students learn differently, therefore, the style and methods in which they are taught should address these various learning styles. Unfortunately, may classrooms are dominated by textbooks and lectures. This dominance prevents teachers from reaching all students, and instead establishes a successful connection of relaying information for those who learn best through these methods. It is crucial that teachers incorporate a variety of mediums in their teaching to engage their students and enhancing their success. There is no need for more media, however, there is a need for better media - digital media. Digital media can help overcome the limitations of traditional instructional formats.

Power of Digital Media: MattieThe key to digital media and how it differs from traditional media is that it is flexible. That flexibilty allows digital media to reach a more diverse group of students with various needs in various content areas. Digital media stores information much differently than traditional media. Traditional media is permant, for example, paint on a canvas can be nothing more or less, the paint will remain on that canvas and cannot be changed to any other medium. However, tha same picture on the canvas can be put into digital media where it is not permanent because it can be seen in various mediums, on a computer screen, TV, through a projector, the options are limitless. Digital media is versatile because content can be displayed in so many different ways. Also, digital media can be transformed to fit the needs of the person viewing it.
Implications for Educators: Andrea"With a better understanding of new and traditional media and how individual brains interact with each, teachers can reevaluate how they teach, how students learn, and hoe best to use various tools and techniques to individualize these processes." Digital media has the power to transform the learning process, and even transform the traditional instructional media approaches used within the classrooms now. Because all students learn differently and in various styles, teachers must teach to accommodate and meet their students' needs. The first step in incorporating digital media into the classroom and assessing the flexibility of this media is to get teachers to shift their methods of instruction. UDL provides guidance in helping teachers understand the integration of digital media in the classroom and to engage their students in successful and meaningful educational opportunities which in turn promote progress.